QUARANTEENS #boredinthehouse #doodlechallenge #animalcrossingnewhorizons 7 KEY FINDINGS #fentybeautyhouse #quarantinediaries #quarantinehair FROM THE #quarantinemakeup #depressed #crying QUARANTEENS #foryou #pov SURVEY Human relationships are absolutely vital to teenagers and, When you are locked down at home, online platforms, social during lockdown, hyperconnection saw its status change networks and video games are, more than ever, worlds to from the norm to a vital need: “I never thought I’d say this, butexplore, new places for socialising, meeting up with others, TikTok made lockdown bearable for me,” confessed Amaury, sharing stuffand celebrating among friends. “On Plato, we 18. A presence on social networks can save not just lockdowns create a group, we start an online game, my friends and I make but lives, too, as it becomes a sign of good physical and group calls to one another, it gives us lots of things to do as mental health sent out to their friends. well as just talking,” explains Roxane, aged 15. And to deal with it, Gen Z relies on games. The number of Neuroscience tells us that teenagers tend to make riskier and challenges and apps keeps soaring, teens game like crazy more radical decisions in the process of constructing their and post themselves gaming. “Since lockdown, I’ve played young adult selves. A tendency exacerbated by lockdown, lots of tournaments on Fortnite. It’s sick!” exclaims Romain,prompting more radical decisions from among the limited 13. Teens have also embraced nostalgia with a return to the options available. “So I decided to shave my head, go full universe of Animal Crossing. The new version lets them exploreskinheadre’s nothing else; theto do, might as well find things a wide-open, unthreatening world where they are free to createto be doing,” reveals Lucien, 16. whatever they want. Teenagers look for constant stimulation to alleviate apathy. They consume more content, faster and more often, cutting short the life expectancy of trends that now emerge and die Gen Z is fascinated by its own emotions and gives them out at a much faster rate. Platform and content life-cycles arefree rein. The Covid crisis has given them the impression growing shorter than ever. of being a lostgeneration, sacrificed to the pandemic, and triggered massive levels of anxiety in their ranks. On online platforms, they stage-direct their depression with passion and romanticism. Melancholy moods become something to take pride in, against a background of celebrating one’s Before boredom set in, lockdown gave teens a sense of at own flaws. last having time to engage fully with their favourite activities. Adolescence is, without doubt, a time for experimenting. And while those experiments are often group-driven, lockdown encouraged teenagers to explore more personal areas of interest. “I absolutely love food-related content; I was already signed up to foodie accounts, but I never used to try anything out; now I’m trying out all sorts of recipes,” confides Roxane, 15. - Amaury, 18 23 DARE!